Sciencemadness Discussion Board

Seperation of NaNO2 and NaNO3

Jackson - 20-3-2019 at 11:22

Hi,
I want to make sodium nitrite by reacting NO2 with NaOH in an aqueous solution. I know that NO2 disproportionates to HNO3 and HNO2 in solution so both NaNO2 and NaNO3 will be formed. How could I go about seperating the two?

happyfooddance - 20-3-2019 at 11:49

You can react it with a strong acid and an alcohol like isopropanol to form the nitrite ester, then hydrolyze with alkali base to recover your alkali nitrite, free of nitrate provided you properly purify your nitrite ester.

fusso - 20-3-2019 at 18:12

Why won't the nitrate ester also form?

happyfooddance - 20-3-2019 at 19:25

Isopropyl nitrite: b.p. = ~40°C
Isopropyl nitrate: b.p. = ~100°C